Packaged article of food and method of making the same



April 10 1956 B. B. BANown-z PACKAGED ARTICLE OF FOOD AND METHOD OFMAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. ll 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l WIN A Il INVENTOR.eyamnfnaw@ April l0, 1956 B. B. BANowl-rz 2,741,559

PACKAGED ARTICLE OF' FOOD AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Aug. 1l,1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,Dwi/@ ,Ml

United States Patent i* PACKAGED ARTICLE F FOOD AND METHOD OF MAKING THESAME Benjamin B. Banowitz, Chicago, Ill., assignor to TV Time Foods,Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application August 11,1951, Serial No. 241,427

2 Claims. (Cl. 99p- 171) This invention relates to a novel packagedarticle of food and its method of manufacture. More particularly, theinvention concerns a novel combined package containing the ingredientsnecessary in the preparation of popcorn.

Raw popcorn for home use is commonly sold in boxes or cans and theconsumer may purchase separately a suitable popping or cooking oil if itis desired to utilize oil in cooking the popcorn. More recently therehave been made available on the market various types of combinationarticles consisting of a quantity of raw popcorn and a small bottle ofliquid popping oil both packaged or enclosed in a common outer containeror otherwise associated as a single sales unit. In every case, however,the popping oil has been in liquid form requiring a suitable glassbottle or equivalent iiuid container.

The inclusion of glass bottles in such combined oil and raw popcornpackages has serious commercial disadvantages because of the hazards ofbreakage during handling of the goods, both in the grocery store and inthe home. In addition, the necessity of including a glass bottle or thelike in the combined packaged places definite limitations on the sizeand shape of the complete combined package. Furthermore, the packagingcost is greatly increased because of the necessity of providing separatecontainers for the raw popcorn and the popping oil and also a suitableouter container or enclosure for the combined unit.

Accordingly, it is one of the objects of my invention to provide a noveland advantageous packaged article of the character described which isnon-fragile, has a convenient size and shape, and is simple andeconomical in construction.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a novel combinedpackage of raw popcorn and popping oil which obviates the disadvantagesheretofore associated with combined packages including separatecontainers of liquid oil.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel combined packagecontaining separated quantities of raw popcorn and solidified poppingoil.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel method forthe manufacture of a packaged article of the type described.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become evident fromthe subsequent detailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings whereint' Fig. `1 is a front elevational view of acombination packaged article comprising one specic embodiment of myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the package shown in Fig- 1;A

Fig.' 3 'is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view 'taken along theline 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of Fig.1;

" Fig. `5 is a perspective view showing one of the initial 2,741,559Patented Apr. 10, 1956 fce 2 steps in the production of the packagedarticle shown in Figs. 1-4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing one of the apparatus elements usedin the production of the packaged article;

Fig. 7 is a schematic elevational view showing a subsequent stage in theprocess;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view similar to Fig. 5 and showing a still laterstep in the process; and

Fig. 9 is a schematic view similar to Fig. 7 and showing a final step inthe production method.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, I have shown therein anovel combined package or composite article constituting, by way ofillustration, one specific embodiment of my invention. The articlecomprises a container in the form of a flexible and preferablytransparent bag indicated generally at 10. I have found that a flexiblesynthetic plastic material such as polyethylene, Saran or other heatscalable sheet material is particularly satisfactory for fabrication ofthe bag 10.

The bag is generally rectangular in contour, as seen in the frontelevational view of Fig. l, and is closed or heat sealed at its lowerend 11. The bag 10 is also formed with a central constriction orpartition 12 which extends longitudinally of the bag whereby to dividethe latter into two separate compartments indicated at 13 and 14 (Fig.4). The partition or dividing constriction 12 may be conveniently formedby heat sealing or otherwise adhering the front and rear walls of thebag 10 along a narrow longitudinal line. This construction will be bestunderstood from the cross-sectional view in Fig. 4 wherein the front andrear walls, indicated at 16 and 17, are shown in sealed relation at 12.

The upper end of the bag 10 is also closed after the bag has been filledby heat sealing the top edges of the bag along a transverse strip orband as indicated at 18. A suitable paper flap 19 is also secured to thetop of the bag in the same heat sealing operation. The front portion ofthe fiap 19 may extend downwardly, as at 21, a sufficient distance toprovide a suitable space for advertising and other printed matteridentifying the contents of the bag.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the lefthand compartment 13 issmaller in width than the compartment 14 and is filled with apredetermined supply of popping or cooking oil 22. The larger right-handcom partment 14 contains a predetermined quantity of raw popping corn 23which may have distributed thereon an appropriate quantity of salt orother seasoning. By reason of the difference in width of thecompartments 13 and 14, the quantities or volumes of popping oil 22 andpopcorn 23 contained therein are proportioned so that each package orbag 10 contains the correct quantities of raw popcorn and popping oilfor preparing a single batch of popcorn. The extent to which thecompartments 13 and 14 are filled may vary as required. Thus, as shownin Fig. l, the popcorn compartment 14 is substantially completely filledwhereas the oil compartment 13 is not quite filled.

One of the advantageous features of my combined package resides in thesubstantially uniformthickness of the package in spite of the fact thatdifferent volumes of oil and raw popcorn are contained in the package.By making the compartments 13 and 14 of predetermined different widthsand by filling the respective compart ments to predetermined differentextents, I am able to provide correctly proportioned quantities of oiland popcorn while both compartments of the bag have substantially thesame thickness, as particularly seen in Fig. 4. It will be understoodthat bags of uniform' thickness can be readily and economically stackedon agrocers shelf whereas bags or packageshaving portions of unequalthickness 'wold ediiire barefiil and special stacking arrangements.

When the material comprising the flexible bag 10 is suitably oilresistant, the poppingoil may be vpackaged in the Lto'rripar'tn're'nt-l3 in normally liq'u'id form. However, it is apreferred featureof myinvention to utilize a'pop'pi'ng oil which has "a solid orisemi-solidconsistency at normal 'room temperatures. Hydro'ge'na'ted vegetable oilshaving relatively high solidification points are particularly 'usefulfor 'this purpose. `-Forv example, coconut `oil or other oils extractedfrom imported 'nuts may be hydrogena'ted and processed hto yield aproduct having'the following consistency atthe 'indicated "temperature:

In the packageillustrated inthe drawings, the Ioil 22 isshown insolidifiedw formsothat the entire package is filled with solidingredients. When sucha solidified poppingoil is utilized, it is notasessential that the material comprising' the bag .10 Ybe* highlyresistant to liquid oil over extended periods of time, although it is,of course, preferable.

From Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings showing the article in Aa planethrough the thickness of the bag, it will be seen that theoilcompartment 13 lof the bag 10 when filled with solidified oil has alongitudinal vtaperedrcon-` formation extending from a'sharply taperedpoint 24 at the lower end of t-hey bag through a gradually taperedcentral portion l26 to the mouth portion, indicated at 27, ofgreatestrwidth. Similarly, as seen in Fig. l in a plane extendingthrough `the width of `the bag, the partition 12 is disposed at a slightslope or angle relative to the bottom of the bag so that the partitionIslants outwardly from the bottom to the top of the bag.. Thus, thecompartment y13 is slightly wider at the topy than at'the bottom, asviewed inl-iig. l. It will be understood that the slope of the partition12 has been exaggerated vslightly in Fig. l for the sake of clarity. Asa result of this tapering or outwardly enlarging shape of thecompartment 13 from the bottom to the top ofthe bag' in two differentplanes, the removal of the solidified oil 22 is greatly simplified. Ingeneral, after opening the sealed mouth of the bag, it is only necessaryto grasp the compartment 13 in the hands for a brief time and the bodyheat will softenl the outer surface of the solidified quanity'of oilsufficiently so that a slightA squeezing actionat theA tapered bottomend of the c'c` mpar`tmentv will result-in extrusion or ejection ofthevelongated mass of solid oil `from the open mouth of the bag. Thepreformed tapered shapeof the compartment 13 and ythe solidified oil 22Vtherein 'facilitates the squeezing and ejection action. 4

From the foregoing explanation, the manner of use of packaged popcornarticle will be readily understood. The mouth Vof the ybag at the oilside is opened first. Then 'the solidified oil is softened and ejected'as'described above with the oil being depositedyin a pan or othersuitable cooking receptacle. Thereafter the oil isv melted, the'otherside of the bagis opened, and the preseasoned rawI popcorn isintrodicedint the molten oil and cooked in the usual manner.

Referring now to Figs. -9, the preferred process or method of `preparingthe composite package will now be described. A supply of eip'tybag's 10isprovided each being open atene 'ena and 'sealed at itsiovvr end 511 ashereinbefo'r'e described. An operator iills the oil compartment 13ofleach bag 10, as seen in Fig. 5, by introducin'g theloil in heatedliquid form from a valvecontrolled discharge/ 1 nozzlet) ofasupplyvesselv 31. As bag y is filled with liquid'oil it is placed in a rack orholder indieatedjgenerally by the reference numeral SZandbestSeeninFig'. `6. l Y d d.

The holder 32 comprises anelongated dat base'33 having a channelv.member 34 with short upright sides 36 rigidly secured thereon. Aplurality of upstanding ele- 'rnenfs 37 are lmounted 'side lby sidealong the base 33, each element 37 being formed from a single continuousstrip of sheet metal or the like and being bent to the general shape ofan inverted U or V. The sides or legs of the elements 37 taper outwardly'from each other and the lower ends thereof are flared more sharply, asat 38. The upright edges l36 of the channel 3ft are suitably notched toreceive` the ends `of `the legs'of lthe elements 37 which are rigidlysecured as by welding or soldering in the notched portions. Thus, theadjacent outer wil'ls of -each 4element 37 denne a forfn or :mold havingthe exact tapered con-formationl which itis desired toimpart to the oilcompartments 13 of the bags 10. As seen in Fig. 6, the bag 1'0 havinglits compartment 13 filled with liquid oil is placed in the holder 32with the compartment 13 being received in the mold space defined betweenan adjacent pair of elements 37. The lowermost extremities, indicated at39, of the sides of the elements '37 are substantially straight andareslightly spaced from each other to receive the thin zflat sealedlliferye'nd '1 1 of bag 10 when the bag is in lplace in the holder. Intion, a plurality of upright U-shaped auxiliary l* or guides 41 oflesser height than the elements 37 are disposed on the base 33, eachsupport 41 being 'alihe'd with the mold space between `adjacent pairs ofelements 37 for receiving and holding the compartment l14 at theopposite side "ofcaeh bag 1'0.

A plurality of the racks or holders 32 are mon'tediild paralleltransverse relation on ari elongated conveyor'42 (Fig. 7)y which lisoperated to nive `slowly througha cooling zone or tunnel 43. As theoperator fills ea'ehba'g 10 with liquid oil it is placed in va moldspace of h der 32 and thefentire holder is then filled as conveyor movesslowly toward the 'tunnel 43. The holders 32..,Ir'iay be 'constructed-to contain any desired number of bags, eight mold spaces being shown`in Fig. `6 by way o eitample. 'Cool air is circulated through the'tunnel '4 3 by means notlshown and the liquid oil contained in the bags1i) is solidified and hardened during passage throgh the tnnel 43. l v

Upon emergence of the holders 32 fr'or'nthe tonnel' 213, the operatorremoves eac'h bag in turn, fills the empty compartment 14 with rawpopcorn from a hopper (as seen in Fig. s) and returns the completennll'd bg containingthe raw popcorn and the solidified to its position4in th'erlol'der 32. Thence the con eyo, 42 carries the holders 32containing 'the filled bags to a heat sealing station, vas'indicatedschematically inl-iig. 9, where the open top of eaoh bag I0 is sealed at18 ei i ally 4or automatically by a heat sealing in 'ee andthe paperflap 19 is `affixed to the bag.y Subsequently, an operator removes thecompleted packages from the holc'lers.'v j

It will thus be seen that my method permits the oil to be introducedinto the bags in liquid form and diete# after solidified in a mold 'toimpart the desired tapered shape to the elongated body of solidifiedoil. Also, the fiat sides of the mold cause the sides of the bagy conLtaining thesoldified oil to be smooth and for ready stacking.Consequently, the completed `package is yreadily stackable and-thesolidified mass of oil is easilyremoved by reason of the taperedconformation of the package.

Although the invention has been described in vcorrnection with certainspecific embodiments, it will b e understood that `various modificationsand alternatvesjnay be resorted to without departing from the scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claims;

Iclairn: A

vl.y Ampackagcd article comprising an elongatedbag of iie'xible sheetmaterial closed atits oppositegendsyfjan angularly disposedpartitionextending lengthwise of the bag and generally diagonally at aslight angle relative to the opposite longitudinal sides of the bagwhereby to define a pair of separate longitudinal compartments inside-by-side relation with each compartment having a relatively narrowend and a relatively enlarged end, a predetermined quantity ofextrudable solidified edible popping oil in one of said compartments,and a prededermined quantity of raw popping corn in the other of saidcompartments, the solidified oil at the narrow end of said onecompartment having a generally tapered shape in a plane through thethickness of the bag and said partition providing said one compartmentand the solidified oil contained therein with a generally taperedconformation in a plane across the Width of the bag whereby uponapplication of squeezing pressure at the narrow end of said onecompartment the solidified oil may readily be extruded as a unitary massthrough the enlarged end of said one compartment when the bag is openedat said enlarged end.

2. The method of making a combined package of popcorn and popping oilhaving an elongated flexible bag with a pair of separate longitudinalcompartments divided by an angularly disposed partition extendinglengthwise of the bag and generally diagonally at a slight anglerelative to the opposite longitudinal sides of the bag so that eachcompartment has a relatively narrow end and a relatively enlarged end,said method comprising the steps of introducing a preheated liquidedible popping oil into one of the compartments of the bag while thelatter is open at one end thereof, supporting the bag in uprightposition and conlining the llexible sides thereof around said onecompartment to a predetermined generally tapered shape in a planethrough the thickness of the bag, cooling the bag and the oil while soconfined whereby to effect solidication of the oil in said taperedshape, introducing7 raw popcorn into the other of said compartments, andsealing `the open endof the bag and thereby closing both of saidcompartments, the tapered shape of the resultant solidified oil and theprovision of the an gularly disposed partition between the twocompartments of the bag serving to facilitate extrusion of thesolidified oil from said one compartment upon application of squeezingpressure at the narrow end of said one compartment when the enlarged endthereof is opened.

References Cited in the file of `this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,889,882 Woods Dec. 6, 1932 1,983,685 Townsley Dec. 11, 1934 2,027,390`Lazier Jan. 14, 1936 2,096,825 Roman Oct. 26, 1937 2,196,404 Tolley Apr.9, 1940 2,245,738 Taylor June 17, 1941 2,385,531 Osterhof Sept. 25, 19452,424,536 Mayer et al July 22, 1947 2,469,521 Rohdin May 10, 19492,480,679 Spencer Aug. 30, 1949 2,518,257 Nairn Aug. 8, 1950

1. A PACKAGE ARTICLE COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BAG OF FLEXIBLE SHEETMATERIAL CLOSED AT ITS OPPOSITE ENDS, AN ANGULARLY DISPOSED PARTITIONEXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE BAG AND GENERALLY DIAGONALLY AT A SLIGHTANGLE RELATIVE TO THE OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL SIDES OF THE BAG WHEREBY TODEFINE A PAIR OF SEPARATE LONGITUDINAL COMPARTMENTS IN SIDE-BY-SIDERELATION WITH EACH COMPARTMENT HAVING A RELATIVELY NARROW END AND ARELATIVELY ENLARGED END, A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF EXTRUDABLESOLIDIFIED EDIBLE POPPING OIL IN ONE OF SAID COMPARTMENTS, AND APREDEDERMINED QUANTITY OF RAW POPPING CORN IN THE OTHER OF SAIDCOMPARTMENTS, THE SOLIDIFIED OIL AT THE NARROW END OF SAID ONECOMPARTMENT HAVING A GENERALLY TAPERED SHAPE IN A PLANE THROUGH THETHICKNESS OF THE BAG AND SAID PARTITION PROVIDING SAID ONE COMPARTMENTAND THE SOLIDIFIED OIL CONTAINED THEREIN WITH A GENERALLY TAPEREDCONFORMATION IN A PLANE ACROSS THE WIDTH OF THE GAG WHEREBY UPONAPPLICATION OF SQUEEZING PRESSURE AT THE NARROW END OF SAID ONECOMPARTMENT THE SOLIDIFIED OIL MAY READILY BE EXTRUDED AS A UNITARY MASSTHROUGH THE ENLARGED END OF SAID ONE COMPARTMENT WHEN THE BAG IS OPENEDAT SAID ENLARGED END.